
Monocle on Culture
Robert Bound and his guests discuss what has piqued their interest in our one-stop shop for lively reports and in-depth interviews on the newest and finest in art, film, books and the media business.
Latest episodes

Aug 5, 2024 • 30min
Summer films: ‘Agent of Happiness’, ‘Daughters’ and ‘Kneecap’
In our summer film special, we find out about three great big-screen releases. We hear about a happiness agent in the Bhutanese Himalayas in ‘Agent of Happiness’, explore the moving new Netflix film ‘Daughters’ and jump into the chaotic world of an Irish-language rapping group in ‘Kneecap’.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 29, 2024 • 29min
Summer reading: John Niven’s ‘O Brother’ and Mariel Franklin’s ‘Bonding’
In our summer books special, we sit down with two brilliant writers. First we hear from Scottish author and screenwriter John Niven, whose moving 2023 memoir ‘O Brother’ is now out in paperback. Then we meet first-time novelist Mariel Franklin, whose debut, ‘Bonding’, is a smart, pertinent book about sex, technology and friendship.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 22, 2024 • 26min
Summer art special: Lonnie Holley, Ukrainian modernism and Les Rencontres d’Arles
We highlight three events that should be on your radar, starting with a trip to London’s Royal Academy of Arts to explore Ukrainian modernism. Then we head to the south of France for this year’s edition of a major summer photography festival, before hearing from US artist Lonnie Holley at his new show at London’s Camden Art Centre, ‘All Rendered Truth’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 19, 2024 • 31min
Leading the charge: a journey down the French Riviera in the Cadillac Lyriq, part three
Alongside General Motors, partner of ‘Monocle on Culture’, we share the third and final part in our series of special programmes. In this episode, we finish our Côte d’Azur road trip in Cannes and explore the relationship between the city, cars and the film world. Plus: we find out how the elegant style of the Carlton Cannes staff has been influenced by cinema over the years.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 15, 2024 • 29min
Summer music: Cassandra Jenkins and a new documentary about Blur
New York-based artist and musician Cassandra Jenkins discusses her new album, ‘My Light, My Destroyer’. The spellbinding new record is a tangle of cranked guitars, close-mic confessionals and wonderfully melodic songwriting. Plus: we celebrate ‘To the End’, a new documentary about Blur, with the film’s director, Toby L.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 12, 2024 • 24min
Leading the charge: a journey down the French Riviera in the Cadillac Lyriq, part two
Alongside General Motors, partner of ‘Monocle on Culture’, we share the second in our three-part series of special programmes. In this episode, we continue our journey down the Côte d’Azur, with time to ponder a quick dip at the Club Dauphin. Along the way we tap into the design world of the Cadillac Lyriq with designer Magalie Debellis. Plus: we hear from design guru Stephen Bayley and colour expert and historian Kassia St Clair.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 8, 2024 • 35min
Looking ahead to the summer in culture
Rhianna Dhillon, Ammar Kalia and Matt Wolf join Robert Bound to preview this summer’s best music, theatre and television. They discuss a TV show set in the murky waters of Baltimore, an upcoming album from one of the UK’s most revered producers and the Broadway debut of an actor fresh from an Oscar-winning role.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 4, 2024 • 27min
Leading the charge: a journey down the Côte d’Azur in the Cadillac Lyriq, part one
Alongside Monocle on Culture’s partner, General Motors, we share the first in a three-part series of special programmes. In this episode, we jump in the new Cadillac Lyriq to begin a stunning road trip down the Côte d’Azur. En route, we find out about the sound world of the new marque with General Motors’ creative sound director, Jay Kapadia, and hear about the perfect driving playlist from composer Max Richter and chef Massimo Bottura.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 1, 2024 • 27min
Pearl Lam
We meet Pearl Lam, one of the world’s leading experts on Asian art. Over the past two decades, her eponymous galleries in Hong Kong and Shanghai have become top destinations for collectors drawn in by her exquisite taste, international outlook and commitment to rewriting narratives about Eastern art. Lam joins Robert Bound at Midori House to discuss her journey into the art world, how her gallery plans to support up-and-coming African artists and her new podcast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 24, 2024 • 29min
Art and democracy: Agnieszka Holland and Nadya Tolokonnikova
We meet two figures in the cultural world known both for their creative practice, as well as their brave attitude towards speaking truth to power. Robert Bound speaks to Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland about her new film ‘Green Border’ and Alexei Korolyov meets Pussy Riot’s Nadya Tolokonnikova to discuss her new exhibition in Linz, Austria. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.